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Daily Archives: February 12, 2013

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Editor’s note: Isn’t this like beating a dead horse? Hasn’t this decision already been made and haven’t people already got their guts in an uproar? Aren’t the renovations for the other three schools already in the works? Why can’t Pottstown made a decision and stick with it? All this vacillating is why NOTHING EVER GETS DONE!

POTTSTOWN — The start of the public’s opportunity to offer comment on the proposed closing of Edgewood Elementary School begins at 6 p.m. Thursday with a public hearing to be held in the cafeteria of Pottstown’s High School.

Called an Act 34 hearing, it is a requirement of Pennsylvania law whenever a school building is to be closed.

However, what is not required, according to School District Solicitor Stephen Kalis, is any kind of informational packet for the public to study before hand.

Rather, he said, the school board’s rationale for its decision to close the building will be offered at the beginning of the hearing, and the public is invited to comment after that.

Egelman Park is one of the city’s most valuable parks, so it’s time to end the current lease and take proposals from new groups to run it this summer, City Council and Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer’s administration agreed Monday.

That didn’t sit well with Randy Gaston, who has a 25-year lease that runs through 2018.

He and his East Reading Athletic Association have run the Egelman concessions and baseball fields for 20 years.

Contacted after the meeting, Gaston said he can’t run the youth baseball program if he doesn’t have a field.

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States Public School Districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Daniel Boone School Board is moving forward with a preliminary 2013-14 budget that includes drastic cuts.

The board voted 6-2 Monday to pass a preliminary $54.9 million budget that closes a nearly $5 million gap by raising taxes the maximum amount, furloughing nearly 40 employees and eliminating kindergarten and all extracurricular activities, including sports.

Board members Connor J. Kurtz and Kevin F. McCullough voted no and Robert D. McLaughlin was absent.

More than 100 residents attended the meeting, with many speaking out against the cuts outlined in the preliminary budget.